


I Thought You Liked Me

by Glass_Oceans



Series: The Ficlet Collection [25]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-09 10:52:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14714678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glass_Oceans/pseuds/Glass_Oceans
Summary: Late night stargazing and unguarded tongues





	I Thought You Liked Me

**Author's Note:**

> Content warnings: Alcohol, Smoking, Unrequited Love, Angst, Stargazing

The sand slid under Kylo’s feet as he stepped down the dune, and he saw Hux look up at the couple of grains of sand that got kicked onto his hand, tutting and shaking his hand to dislodge the grains. In his other hand, Kylo could see the cherry ember glow of a cigarette.

“What’cha doing here all alone?” Kylo asked, sliding to a halt beside Hux.

In answer, Hux lifted the cigarette to his lips, drawing deep, and holding the burning air in his lungs for a moment before he exhaled the smoke into the night sky.

“Phasma thinks I’m quitting,” he said, stubbing it out in the sand to his side.

Kylo snorted. “Phasma knows damn well you’re not.”

Hux raised his lip in a half-hearted sneer, and Kylo laughed as he held out his peace offering.

“Have a drink with me?”

Hux glanced at the whiskey in Kylo’s hand, and then took the mug with the dark green glaze and the chip in the handle that he always seemed to prefer. Kylo fell to the ground beside him, screwing his cup into the sand to hold it upright while he opened the bottle. Kylo poured a generous portion into each mug, his own a red mug with a white crackle glaze, and pushed the bottle into the sand on his other side. They sat there quietly for a time, looking out at the horizon and the slow wheel of stars as they sipped their drinks. Kylo leaned back on his elbows, one hand splayed out on the sand so he was almost within touching distance of Hux. Every time he became tempted to close the distance, he’d take a gulp of the whiskey, and when he lowered his mug his hand would seem to be that much closer to Hux’s heat.

They both jumped as explosions sounded behind them, and whirled around to see fireworks lighting up the sky, followed moments later by whoops and screams from the others at the party. Hux huffed and turned back to the sea, but Kylo watched the chemical stars a moment longer, blinking away the afterimages as he turned back to look at Hux. Twisting to look at the light show had done what Kylo himself had been afraid to; as his night vision returned, Kylo could see the way the backs of his knuckles rested against Hux’s hip, how his leg had swayed and now leaned against Hux’s knee. Heart pounding in his chest, Kylo stroked the backs of his fingers over the denim of Hux’s jeans, barely touching him until Hux looked down at the motion.

“Kylo-“

Kylo surged from the sand, one hand cradling Hux’s cheek as he brought his lips to Hux’s, tasting the cigarette and whiskey that flavoured his mouth. For a glorious moment he felt Hux melt into the kiss, one hand placed over Kylo’s on his face, but the moment passed and he felt Hux’s other hand flat on his chest, pushing him away.

“Kylo… I don’t… I can’t do this.”

Kylo’s forehead creased as he stared at Hux. Hux pushed again at his chest, and Kylo sat back, dropping his hand from Hux’s face to his knee.

“I... I don’t understand.”

“I’m sorry, Kylo.”

Kylo slid his thumb over Hux’s knee, unwilling to give up the contact.

“I thought you liked me,” he said, voice small.

“I do, b-“

Kylo’s head snapped up and Hux held up a hand before he could come closer again.

“Kylo, I just... I can’t do this.”

“Why?” Kylo asked. He could feel his cheeks starting to burn, and he was glad for the darkness on the beach.

Kylo felt Hux’s fingers reach up and tuck a strand of hair behind his ear, like he usually did, but Kylo stared at the blurred sand, blinking away the wavering in his vision.

“I don’t want you to be like the others,” Hux said, stroking past his ear again before the he withdrew. “I don’t want you to be like the ones who just get bored of the chase and give up, or the ones who get close enough to see that the shine they thought was there is just flaking gilt, and that they don’t really want the prize after all.”

Kylo swallowed heavily. He wanted to refute Hux’s words, but he knew he couldn’t trust his own voice in that moment.

“I don’t want this to happen, and for you to decide it wasn’t for you after all, only to fall into someone else’s arms in a heartbeat.”

Kylo looked up then as Hux slid out from under his hand, pulling himself to his feet and brushing the sand off his jeans. He swept his hands over the jeans for longer than was necessary, finally letting out a sigh and looking down at Kylo.

“I’m sorry.”

He turned and climbed up the sand dune behind him, leaving Kylo alone on the sand. He looked at the space where Hux had been sitting, the mug that had at some point spilled its contents into the sand. Kylo turned and wrapped his arms around his knees and stared out at nothing.


End file.
